A typical economizer as is known and presently used provides an air intake for a flow of ambient air through an air handling enclosure, or air handler, to provide, for example, free-cooling or make-up air for an air conditioning system.
In a typical economizer installation, a wall of an air handling enclosure on which an economizer assembly is to be employed is removed and an economizer assembly is substituted in its place. This substitution typically requires considerable time and labor. After the economizer assembly is substituted in place of the end panel, it must also be weatherproofed and sealed to provide proper operation. Further, the typical economizer assembly must be shipped separately, which introduces the additional risk of loss, damage and other casualty to the economizer assembly.
Alternatively, the air handling enclosure is shipped for installation with the economizer assembly in place, which permits factory installation and weatherproofing of the economizer assembly. However, the typical economizer, when in place, projects from the air handler and requires the exercise of great care in packing and protecting the economizer end of the air handler. This results in extraordinary shipping and installation costs and difficulties, while often not providing adequate protection of the economizer from damage. Both methods therefore carry inherent risks of delay and expense in the installation of the economizer.
Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide an economizer assembly which is shipped integrally with the air handler or similar unit.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an economizer assembly which provides convenient and inexpensive setup at time of installation of an air handling enclosure.
A still further object is to provide an economizer assembly which is relatively less susceptible to loss or damage in shipment.
Yet a still further object is to provide an economizer assembly which gives the foregoing benefits at the lowest possible cost of manufacture, time, and effort.
These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the attached drawings and the description of the preferred embodiment that follows hereinafter.